Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves received an honorary Doctorate of Musical Arts degree during Berklee College of Music’s 2003 Commencement in Boston.
Reeves, along with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, spoke to the 600 graduating students and 3,000 invited guests during the May 10 ceremony, after which Berklee President Lee Eliot Burk presented them with their diplomas. The two also performed with the graduating class at the commencement concert the previous night.
Producer and Berklee graduate Arif Mardin joined Burk to present the degree to Reeves. Mardin produced Reeves upcoming album, A Little Moonlight, set for Blue Note Records release on August 19. Reeves and her working trio, pianist Peter Martin, bassist Rueben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, recorded the collection of standards and are touring to promote the album. They will be at the St. Louis Jazz Festival on June 20.
For more information, go to www.bluenote.com or www.diannereeves.com
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
